In Lake Charles, Louisiana, 1929, future California Supreme Court Associate Justice Allen E. Broussard was born. When the Depression hit, his family moved to the Bay Area to seek better opportunity.  To pay his way through San Francisco City College, UC Berkeley and Berkeley Law School, Justice Broussard sold shoes and worked in a canning plant. As a student, he started his lifelong effort to promote equal rights for African Americans in the workplace. In 1964 he became one of California’s first African American judges, and in 1981 Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the State Supreme Court where he served for 10 years, writing many of the Court’s majority opinions.

Broussard Scholarship Established in 1996

The Allen E. Broussard Scholarship Fund was established in 1996 after Justice Broussard’s death, and was incorporated as the Allen E. Broussard Scholarship Foundation in 1999. The goal of the foundation was to continue Justice Broussard’s work to make sure all minorities are given the opportunity to rise and “take a place at the table,” as he was fond of saying.  In 2008, Steven Kazan of the Kazan, McClain, Satterley & Greenwood, A Professional Corporation, became President of the Broussard Scholarship Foundation, and for the past eight years has awarded scholarships to law students to continue Justice Broussard’s mission to diversify the law profession. 

Kazan Law Foundation Helps Support the Broussard Scholarships

Several of us here at Kazan Law have had the privilege of working with Justice Broussard during our legal careers. We are proud that our Firm’s foundation annually helps support the Allen E. Broussard Scholarship Foundation scholarship awards.  Having served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Allen E. Broussard Law School Scholarship Foundation for over a decade, I am honored each year to present three or more academically qualified students from economically challenged backgrounds with a $5,000 scholarship. This award is the largest private scholarship award for law students attending California Bay Area law schools. Three students received the award this year.

The 2018 Broussard Scholarship Recipients

Chelsea Davis is a second-year student at Berkeley School of Law.  Her interests in law and supporting her local community were significantly influenced by her father, who was a police officer. Chelsea pursued her interest in public service as a 2015-2016 California State Senate Fellow for Representative Holly Mitchell, where she managed four bills, one of which was signed into law. As a Berkeley Law student, she contributes to the Berkeley Journal of African American Law & Policy, and is a member of the Law Students of African Descent, Women of Color Collective, and First Generation Professionals. Chelsea graduated cum laude from UCLA in 2015 with a degree in Political Science and African-American Studies. Chelsea has also served as an intern for the NAACP and Housing & Economics Rights Advocates (HERA).  Chelsea’s application demonstrated academic excellence, interest in public law, and strong roots in the Alameda County community.

Anya Ku is a first-year law student at Berkeley Law School and a proud product of the Oakland public school and Peralta Community College systems. While attending Berkeley City College, Anya co-authored a local, best-selling book, Flavors of Oakland. After community college, Anya transferred to UC Berkeley and graduated in 2017 with a BA in Political Science.  At Berkeley Law, Anya is co-chair of the La Raza Law Students’ Association and an articles editor for the La Raza Law Journal. This summer, Anya will be at the California Attorney General’s Bureau of Children’s Justice doing research and policy advocacy for children in foster care, children that have faced discrimination in education, and victims of trafficking and trauma. This will be a perfect preview for her career goal of representing children in guardianship cases. One day you might even see her on the bench!

Samson Lim is the National Director of Graduate and Fellowship Programs at The Posse Foundation, a college access and youth leadership development program that awards four-year, full-tuition scholarships to high school seniors with extraordinary academic and leadership potential. Previously, Sam founded Scholarship Junkies, scholarship resource program, and led the University of Washington Dream Project, a college access program. Sam was a U.S. Student Fulbright Scholar and Humanity in Action Fellow in Berlin, Germany, where he researched the relationship between access to higher education and social mobility. Sam holds a Master of Arts in Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University in New York and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (Development) from the University of Washington in Seattle. Sam will pursue his JD at UC Berkeley School of Law, beginning in the fall of 2018.